Sacreda
by Ultima's Angel
Summary: Set before Yuna’s Besaid Cloister of Trials, she finds that she must first visit the fantasy world of Sacreda to prove herself as a summoner. She will take on extraordinary trials & learn from past FF heroines... but Yuna's toughest trial is yet to come
1. Prologue: A Dream Most Vivid

******Sacreda**

******By: **Ultima's Angel

******Website: **Please see my profile for link (profile also includes full summary and updates)

******Disclaimer: **A FFX, FFIX, FFVIII AND FFVII crossover. All characters associated with the Final Fantasy name don't belong to me!  
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I couldn't fit this into the summary but Sacreda is a place made by all the Yevon temples where the summoner visits the worlds of Final Fantasy 9, 8 and 7 and carries out a trial after each to get to the next world. If they succeed (by getting the summoning creature they need from each FF) they will defeat the "practice Sin" and will be considered worthy of aeons _**  
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Prologue: A Dream Most Vivid  
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It was an odd flicker of the darkness that made the city become visible. Although it was blurred and shrouded in obscurity, there was a distinct buzzing atmosphere surrounding it and it was mainly the loud outbursts of a man over a tannoy shouting out "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand it's here at last!" that made it appear clearer.

The city seemed to be drowned in heavy lights, each in turn flickering crazily across the silhouetted buildings like moths that had been exposed to the world's biggest lamp. Excited cheers filled the air with the constant droning of fast paced talking sandwiched in-between. No one seemed to be out and about- the streets lay desolate, the dark alleys more so. It was almost as if someone had stolen the people from the streets and packed them into a tiny space where that was the only place you could really feel that they were there at all.

Somewhere in the distance there were faint mutters of parents fumbling over tickets from out of their bags as their children whined at them to hurry up, loud shouts of jeering drunkards wrapped in shawls with a distinctive logo sewn onto them and high-pitched squeals of excited teenage girls as what seemed like a massive arena filled to the brim of people of all ages and all backgrounds, each as excited and cheery as the next.

" It's going to be the best game ever. I just hope the kid's up for handing us our victory!" some unrecognizable voice echoed, seamlessly integrating with a shrill female voice and some loud announcements.

" O-O-Oh behave Zenthir! Really, if I didn't want to see this so bad I would have taken you home right away!" the woman cried, as an advert for blitzball merchandise appeared on a massive billboard, an accompanying announcement thundering over the whizzing movements of the flashing lighting as it turned onto a new advert.

As it finished, it was quickly replaced by more unmistakable commentary from the man from the tannoy (who had now been joined by some reporter) that merged over the thick layer of faint noise, loud and shrill in comparison to what was happening in the background.

" And they say that our young champion is in tip-top condition, Yinnie?"

" Absolutely, Pip! He is said to be as fit and ready as he can be tonight! The Duggies are in for a sure defeat!"

" And what of the gathering crowds tonight, eh? This is truly an event to remember in years to come-"

" Why Pip, isn't that what I was going to say? You see I was talking to a few outside people just that moment ago…"

Yinnie's voice became louder and then quieter again as a previous recording sounded over the speakers, crackling and hissing as people told of how they were going to tell their great grandchildren about the match or how they intended to celebrate once the Abes had won while, at the end, a few giggly girls commented on how they were going to get the "autograph of their hero."

It was as these last few words finished signaling the end of the report that Yinnie leapt back into action giving a few facts on the star player, every word speeding along at top-speed as if a typewriter was feeding it to her and she had to get it all out before a new page began.

Outside, as Yinnie's facts came to a close, the ticket booths swarmed with more people as the woman inside it battled to close the window and pin up the 'Sold Out' sign and yet more advert announcements made their way out of their amplifiers, blaring over the noise of restless crowds staring obsessively at their watches who were watching, waiting for the gates to pull open to announce the start of the match. It soon came.

Snaking its way through the night air and dampening out all other noise, the opening bars of a familiar rock song played and from the outside of the gates, a sudden roar of people was heard as they cranked open.

" Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand welcome folks!" Pip began, as if was the first time he had spoken, " This is Pip and I'm your commentator for tonight's events. Please take your seats for we will begin shortly!"

He fell silent for a moment. All that was heard was the rock song blaring from every direction as everyone hurried to their seats where staff were being physically thrown back from the hundreds and thousands of people, each desperate to claim their reserved seating arrangements.

" We can't miss the star!" a triumphant voice cried as the crowd took to singing a chant of only two syllables.

" Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand here he is, folks! In only one year he's become the Abes' star player. Please. Put your hands, your lucky chocobo feathers and whatever else you have together and welcome…"

The last word was drowned out by the furious applaud from the audience and in the next moment the match had begun, helped along by Pip's enthusiastic commentary of: " Ooh! Wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that one folks!" or " That was just plain lucky if you ask me! Our star player was obviously caught off guard!" as Yinnie scooted about the place interviewing anyone she could find, without really much success. The game was in full swing and no one wanted to be bothered with questions on whether they felt it was necessary to book tickets in advance or if they had just turned up, although she had managed to catch a few people off guard.

" Get out off the way woman!" someone was screeching hastily, dodging a microphone that was trying to capture any interesting points of view.

" Well, really Mr- Mr- Mr whatever your name is but I think that unfortunate people who have not managed to get their tickets-"

Yinnie's argument for why she should be allowed to continue came to an abrupt halt as a wild cheer erupted from all sides of the stadium and swiftly died in anticipation.

" OH MY LORD! WHY LOOK AT THIS, FOLKS! And he's caught it, people. Our number one… and… "

Pip's commentating also fell away as the player flew in the air, obviously preparing for some killer move, while the crowds held their breath, gasping with admiration, all hoping for the winning goal. Some stood near the edge of the balcony to get a closer view (no matter how much the guards tried to pull them back) while most gritted their teeth, their eyes fixated, as a hazy outline of the player rose up with a blitzball tucked, like some precious baby, under his arm. It was then the crowd's tense silence changed to gasps of concern.

There, rising above the arena, a massive wall of water was sweeping its way through the night's stars, encasing something within it's watery ramparts and a few shots of the water wall seemed to be aiming right for the star player. All of a sudden, there was a loud explosion. The relaxed, excited tone of the city dissolved into that of utter panic as more explosions rippled through the night's sky. Immense flames broke out, the towering smoke masking the stars that once twinkled, now hid in fear.

Statues smashed into pieces, smoke hurtled through the sky enveloping it in thick clouds and the cool, crisp night air became absorbed in heavy fumes of heat. There were screams of terror as the stadium began to split under the influence of the developing fire that grew angrily underneath while the water, that once resided in the massive sphere, spilt out over the walls and dribbled down the pathways.

From the wrecked doorway, people who had once stood outside eager to enter were now just as keen to leave.

" _What's going on? -"_

" _Zenthir? Where are you? ZENTHIR!" _

" _We must leave… now! There's no time! It's coming! L-L-Look out!"_

And then… everything froze. All was silent. Blurred.

"… You cried…"

It was then as if the volume was suddenly turned up and time sped up again. The scene of horror once again took prime position and through the arena, people were still running wildly, unsure of what to do.

From all directions came fiends, plunging from the sky as the city continued to shatter all around. There was more running. More fiends. More panic. It all seemed endless as the fiends multiplied and the sky filled with yet more smoke. But then something happened. There, upon an odd flicker of darkness, a voice cried out. It had no emotion, nothing recognizable, nothing at all distinctive. Just an echo…

Another voice became clear, only just louder than the noise of objects swooping through the sky.

" This is it. This is your story…"

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_(This is my first fanfic. I originally wrote quite a bit of it two years ago but have recently edited it. Any reviews/ comments are very welcome to keep me writing! Thanks for reading! O;) ) _


	2. It Begins

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**

** Disclaimer**:

FFX, FFIX, FFVIII AND FFVII and all characters associated with the Final Fantasy name belong to those lovely people at Square. Story and additional characters © 2005 Ultima's Angel

_Note: When Yuna and her guardians visit each Final Fantasy the events in my fanfic are set AFTER the games' endings therefore_ _there will most likely be spoilers for the endings of 9,8 and 7. _

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1. " It begins"  
**_"This is it. This is your story…"  
_

"…_It all begins here."_  
"…It all begins here. This is what determines whether you are a true summoner. I know it may seem trivial in comparison to what you will face in reality but still, I hope you are ready for what lies ahead… we must be prepared."  
"I-I-It all begins here?"  
" …Well I know that you have thought of yourself as a summoner since you were small but…"  
"Why does it begin here? What begins here?"  
And this was when a guardian began to get a little worried.

This was the third time in the past few days that Lulu had become concerned over her summoner. Yuna had been adamant from a young age that she would take on the responsibility of being Spira's ray of light yet recently she was frequently losing her concentration leaving her guardians, and in particular Lulu, concerned.

It had started of as nothing much to worry about. After all it was only a few mentions of a long dead city in her sleep and some wild crazy talk about a blitzball event in a huge stadium "all lit up at night". Problem was, there was no such stadium with tall buildings and blinding lights with thousands upon thousands of spectators roaring as the match began at night. As far as Lulu could recall the only blitzball matches that happened were in the day and even then, the crowd that Yuna talked about sounded nothing like anything she could imagine happening in Spira.

Initially the dark guardian had put it down to nerves at the young summoner's first trial but after it had began affecting her concentration, she felt she had to say something. Sitting down with such superiority it was as if the temple stair was actually a majestic throne, she took a deep breath.

"Yuna. Are you truly ready for this?"  
Her dark eyes peered narrowly at the younger girl who sat on the stair below her. They appeared concerned yet; somehow, they struggled to conceal the venomous glare she often sported. The battle for her to remain patient as no reply came became apparent as she pulled back her moogle puppet as if it was a misbehaving bulldog.

Its loud frightened cry seemed to have no effect on Yuna. She was muttering a little.  
"Sin… spawn… attack…"  
" Yuna? Yuna? Would you stop that?"  
It was then the young woman's eyes opened. One blue, one green- together like sparkling gems. Lulu smiled a little, the relief flooding her face.  
" Just what is wrong with you today? You've just been dreaming all of the time, no wonder you're tired. Are you scared, hmm? It's alright to feel apprehensive you know…"  
Yuna shook her head and her light brown hair shook with it, as if the mere suggestion of her being apprehensive was an offence.  
" It's not that Lulu… I… I… I don't know," she finally concluded. She knew Lulu would never understand. Not even she understood why she kept seeing and hearing these blurred visions in her mind. "Maybe you are right… maybe I am worrying…"  
"Well it is a big step. This is what you have spent your life dreaming about. I'm just worried. You appear to be in another world half the time. Perhaps you are not ready?"  
"I _am _ready Lulu. I have made my promises to Spira and I _will_ make my sacrifice to help them."

Such determination was not unexpected of Yuna yet Lulu hoped she had changed her mind. She didn't say anything but her eyes gave a look of disagreement. This was no pleasant experience. Lulu was best compared to a leather python - one with bitter cud hanging on the end of its hissing tongue.

"If you are sure…" Her voice tried, and on the most part, succeeded in masking disappointment but it became more like herself, confident and informative, as she continued.  
"To become a summoner, you must first take on the Pilgrimage of Sacreda. It is a world created by all of the Yevon temples to test out those who truly seek to become a summoner and go on the journey to defeat Sin. It is a test of strength and determination amongst other things. Once you have passed each challenge you will gain access to Sacreda's trials then you will fight Sacreda's sin. Then, and only then, may you receive your first aeon and we can begin journeying."  
Yuna felt a little shiver of fear.  
"Sacreda is different to every summoner but is _always_ made up of three separate worlds together-"

"WHOOOOOOOOA!"

A loud noise from the temple entrance made Lulu unnaturally end her sentence. It soon became clear what it was. Unfortunately for the offender, the flying blitzball landed straight into the palm of Lulu's hand. She wasted no time in destroying it with a simple bolt of thunder, leaving it melting in defeat over her purple fingernails as out of the doorway appeared a red face that was as round as the flying (now deflated) blitzball.

" You do realize that _that_ game is forbidden inside the temples? I would have thought that as a _guardian_ Wakka that you would have known that!" Lulu raged in unstoppable fury, making her way past the stairs to face the culprit. Yuna could see that her eyes were piercing through him just like an eagle's- razor sharp and just as unpredictable.

" Well… um… the boys just got a little carried way, ya? You know-"

His explanation was sliced in two as Lulu's face was shaking with anger that only she could produce and it reduced the big-built Wakka down to a weary sigh.

" It'll never happen again…"

" Good, I would hope not."

Lulu turned away in disgust as the distraught Wakka, who was nursing the found remains of his once best blitzball, dissolved slowly into a sullen heap (like most things faced with her fiery temper) and dared not to argue more.  
"Now where is Kimarhi?"  
Lulu's once fuming voice had returned to its normal tone and she was doing her best to ignore the full grown man who was fretting about the loss of his ball behind her.  
" Kimarhi is here. Ronso protect Yuna."  
A large, dark, spidery shadow wavered from behind one of the stone statues and grew increasingly larger before out came a tall beast- Yuna's final guardian that had protected her ever since she was child and who was now in his usual position of standing behind his young summoner and breathing heavily down her thin neck.

Yuna felt his grave breath and knew what she had to do.  
" When you are ready…" Lulu prompted her.  
Yuna nodded in understanding and turned to the statue of a man dressed in a long outfit that covered his body whole and bent down in prayer as the guardians waited patiently, each of their eyes quietly watching the young woman they had watched since she was little.

She was only seven years old the day her father was confirmed dead and was brought from her hometown of Bevelle to the little island of Besaid where she had grown up and, although her father had died, Yuna had grown strong (under theguidance of her guardians of course) and had decided from a young age what her future path would entail. Lulu had to say that she did not quite agree with the decision of her summoner, while at the same time she did not disapprove, but whatever she thought it meant nothing in the way of changing Yuna's mind and no one, not even Kimarhi, could even come close.

He admitted his true feelings only in his mind but never had he told of it. After all, he preferred to remain quiet on the subject or indeed on any topic of conversation that he did not regard as 'important' but he always made sure that the little girl he had taken from Bevelle all those years ago was protected best to his ability. He was determined to never fail and, as his little black eyes surveyed Yuna, he thought in his mind again..._If only he could protect her from everything..._

And he folded his arms and waited. Not long after he felt a purple heated glow upon his wet nose that then vanished quietly. The sphere was entered.

* * *

It was quite some time before they left and the once burning sun was now a pallid eclipse of masked light hidden behind a grey cloud. There was a distinct cold chill in the wind that rustled through the guardians' hair and all were glad to board the small ship that lilted upon the water, its sail fluttering furiously beneath the wind's wrath. 

" M'Lady Summoner. It is a pleasure to have you board our ship on such an afternoon. The wind may be high, but I have been informed by the crew that this will not be a problem."  
The man that spoke was small in height with little half-moon spectacles that rimmed his beady black eyes. He was dressed in a long green chiffon robe that crowned his ankles and he spoke in a soft manner that could have been best compared to that of a whisper.  
" If all goes well then we should be in Sacreda by sunrise."  
The man nodded as he finished his last sentence and off he went, floating upon the ship's floor, his robes shimmering in the sun's light.

"Yuna. We should go inside," Lulu suggested, once the man was out of sight. Yuna agreed and reached towards the cabin door's handle to pull it open. Just as she clasped her hand around it, it dissolved in her hand in a blur of brown, green and blue. She jumped back in surprise as suddenly it flew from her hands and quickly built back into a form of the handle. Still not sure exactly what was going on, she clasped it again- it was as solid as she was and it swung open as if nothing had happened with a loud "Creeeeeeeek."

Inside, it was a lot smaller than Yuna expected with very few people sitting around. There was a girl about the same age as Yuna, who was gently clasping a shining staff, a woman with dark black hair who confidently strode back and forwards in thought and, last of all, there was a man dressed in identical clothing to the one Yuna had met on the ship's bridge who bowed his head when Yuna entered. "This is the lower cabin," he said, smiling. " Please feel free to take a seat."  
And once more he gave a little bow.

Yuna also smiled and bowed before she took in a closer look of the queer room that lay before her. It was oddly shaped with leather seats that reeked strongly of raw bark she had often smelled in her visits to Guadosalam and a slight musty scent, as if it was a kennel of a wet dog. Despite this, she decided to take a seat in the corner and she could feel its ginger hairs tickling her arms…

" YEOUWH!"

A piercing cry, like that of cat, made Yuna drop her rod and jump up as the woman with the dark hair made a rude gesture and left for the door.

" You'd better be careful with this."  
The girl, who before now hadn't spoken, handed Yuna's trusty rod back to its owner.  
" You'll be the summoner Yuna."  
Yuna wasn't too sure what to say at this bold introduction and, learning a lesson never to sit on something she didn't quite understand in this new world, she sat away from the ginger fur seat and next to her.  
" That's a moomba, if you didn't know already. They are creatures of the earth… and I don't suppose they like to be sat on either."  
The stranger had a gentle way of speech and glowing green eyes that lit up when she spoke.

Yuna turned to look at the ginger rug and was surprised to see that it had sprouted a pair of black eyes from underneath its masses of fur and a snout that housed its damp nose.  
" You see… things that look as if they are not alive actually are. They are full of life like the sky and the trees around you. Moombas are special because they are evolving endlessly so even if they are too be sat upon"- the girl smiled - " It will live again so don't feel too bad."

Yuna looked, rather sorrowfully, at the poor moomba she had accidentally used as a cushion cover and, just as the girl had said, it seemed somewhat different with a bigger snout than what Yuna had seen it previously.  
" I guess I've learned one thing about this strange new world then… moombas are alive. I better make sure Lulu doesn't get a hand on the poor thing".

Yuna looked around the cabin, just to make sure that her dark guardian wasn't about (and gladly she wasn't) before she felt a slight wet feeling on her finger that had been aching since she had boarded the ship. She quickly turned to see that it was the little orange creature mopping up, rather like a hungry vampire bat, a slight trickle of blood from one of her slim fingers. Yuna couldn't help but to be completely horror-stricken at what she saw and by the look on the girl's face she could tell exactly what she was thinking.  
" Do not be afraid, it is not hurting but healing. Now it will forever recognize you, forever at your service. "  
The finger that the moomba had licked was now shining in saliva and Yuna raised it to see if what the girl had told her was correct.

" Yuna"  
A stern voice Yuna was surprised to hear, after all of the tranquillity in the stranger's voice, came from the side of the cabin and, once it had set in her brain, Yuna had no shock in seeing it belonged to Lulu.  
" Yuna. I came to tell you that, according to the crew, we may well be arriving shortly so I thought it was best to let you know… Yuna?"  
" Huh?"  
Yuna, in not the first time in her life, had not even listened to a word Lulu had said but was now looking around her for signs of the conversation she had just had.  
" Are you o.k? A little scared now… hmm?" Lulu checked, her hand stroking down her young summoner's hair.  
" I guess"

By now Yuna was tired and could feel her lids shutting and her voice closing in. Forgetting all about her encounter, she took her rod and followed Lulu out onto the deck.  
" It wouldn't be possible for a sleep, would it?" she asked and a large yawn interrupted it mid-flow.  
" Hey! That you tired already? Summoner's got to be at her best!" Wakka said in his usual cheery mood, closely followed by Kimarhi (who's hair, under the strain of the wind, was messed up in all directions)  
" That may be so Wakka but if you didn't know already, the boat will soon be arriving." Lulu flicked back her plaits and leaned over the side of the ship. "I really do hope that it is as soon as the crew say. Yuna can't hold out any longer after all it is…"

Lulu hadn't completed her sentence when suddenly, the wind abruptly changed leaving the ship stranded upon the waters, rocking furiously as if it was under a silent storm and the guardians found themselves tossed onto the ship's wooden floors as loud rumbling noises crashed from underneath the boat.

" W-What's going on?"

Wakka was holding onto the floorboards for dear life that were shaking so hard it felt as though the water beneath him would burst through. The sky, no longer in its calm state, was looking as if someone had taken a sponge, dipped it into thick grey paint and smothered it over the once fluffy clouds. All around the ship strong flashes of distant lighting and low rumbles of thunder were heard and the S.S Spektril tossed like a mere ragdoll amongst the strength of the angry waves and wailing winds.

" Try to remain calm, this stage of the journey is completely normal and all will be restored as soon as possible!" a crewmember, easily recognisable in his green outfit, yelled out from underneath the predominant noise of the waves crashing alongside the ship's sides.  
He, unlike the others, was still fully standing and it seemed that no matter how much the ship was tugged by the wailing gales, he still didn't move a muscle. When he did finally turn around to leave the deck, the weather had instantly cleared like the massive storm hadn't even occurred and out from the grey came a sudden flash of orange light.

" What in Yevon's name was that?"  
Wakka lifted himself and the sleeping Yuna from where they had been shoved by the invisible storm and saw that Lulu was already standing. As he thought more, he realised that she hadn't been thrown anywhere.  
"That is a sign our destination is near approaching. I'm used to it by now," she informed him.  
Wakka had to think some more to eventually remember that she was experienced in such matters, having taken her previous summoners on the same sort of pilgrimage. It made him a little less nervous knowing this but still it felt as if they were journeying into the unknown- something Wakka didn't like to uncover.

Kimarhi scooped Yuna into his arms and made his way into the cabin while Wakka and Lulu turned back to face the gentle lapping waters. There, as an aftermath of the recent events and floating upon the horizon like a red buoy was the sunset and, even though it seemed faraway, they could strangely feel its rays burning their faces and it soon became clear why for the ship was now swimming directly towards it.

Wakka turned to face Lulu, who seemed to have not even noticed that they were about to be swallowed up by the sunrise's engulfing light.  
" Eh, Lu?" he started slowly, cautiously approaching her and holding his breath in the hope that she wouldn't be angry at the interruption.  
" Hmm?"  
Lulu stirred from where she had been staring into her own world. Unexpectedly for her, a spark flew from the burning ball and hit the bow with such force that it caused a massive rumble and spread like a big orange blanket curtaining them and creating a passage of intense fire circling all round the ship. The S.S Spektril was in the heart of it, travelling faster and faster as it got deeper into this road of fire.

Wakka looked once more to see if the dark guardian had shown any emotion but, just like Lulu, she smiled weakly from the side of her thin lips and walked away, as if it was the most normal thing in the world to be sailing through a sun.

" Sacreda here we come."

" _My watching is complete, it's all on him now."_

" … _It begins."  
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(Please R&R! Feedback is what keeps me going and I'm determined to keep updating until I reach my ending lol. Thanks! O;) )  
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	3. The Eidolon Handler

**Disclaimer**:

FFX, FFIX, FFVIII AND FFVII and all characters associated with the Final Fantasy name belong to those lovely people at Square. Story and additional characters © 2005 Ultima's Angel

_Note: When Yuna and her guardians visit each Final Fantasy the events in my fanfic are set AFTER the games' endings therefore_ _there will most likely be spoilers for the endings of 9,8 and 7._

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2. The Eidolon Handler**

Yuna awoke early, just as the first morning light poured in from top deck. She wasn't sure why she was back in the lower cabin but she guessed Kimarhi had something to do with it. She could smell the strong musk of leather before she had even opened her eyes and, due to the heat, she felt like she could go to sleep again which she might have done if the voice of Wakka hadn't hit sharply in her ear.

"I can't believe we just sailed through t-t-the sun of all things and you think that's normal? If I do believe it, which at the moment I don't, isn't that dangerous? The boat could've been burnt to a shred! Well, aren't you going to say anything Lu?"  
There was a pause followed by a slight chuckle.  
"You really have no imagination do you Wakka? The world is black and white to you of course. Why don't you use your mind to think of a rational explanation for once? Don't you ever think for yourself?"  
"W-?"

Yuna laughed silently under her breath as she listened out for his familiar stammers that followed, right on cue, shortly afterwards. She didn't want to take sides, after all she hadn't heard the best part of the argument, but she did think that what Lulu had said was true. It wasn't that she disliked Wakka- far from it- but she knew as well as Lulu did that he wasn't one to welcome anything that wasn't explained in Yevon's teachings and tended not to use his own mind to come to a conclusion.

"W-w-w-e"  
"Enough Wakka, the goldfish look doesn't suit you."  
And, just like Lulu, she turned away. Her killer move in which she had finished off her prey was complete and the morning's foul mood was looking for the next victim.  
"Now where is Yuna?"

At the sound of her name, Yuna quickly got up. She knew that if Lulu had to come looking for her then she well be the dessert and she didn't fancy being the next gawping goldfish.  
"Kimarhi did you leave her in the lower cabin?"  
The bold beast nodded and crossed his arms like a big chief of some tribe but said nothing.

It was at this point Yuna entered the deck and the guardians were glad to see they didn't have to wake her up.  
"You real sleepy head this-" Wakka began as Yuna interrupted.  
"I heard you two arguing again. You really should just laugh at it and let it go. Life's too short to argue about such pointless things…"  
She sighed and bent over the side of the ship, her reflection quivering on the water in the pleasant morning breeze.

Suddenly no guardian, not even Lulu, could say anything. They all knew what the end journey would result in for their young summoner and it filled them with dread to talk about it. They knew that after Yuna had proved herself a summoner, after Sacreda, she would have received her first aeon and would be on her final journey. Even though they were guardians who were to protect their summoner as their first duty, it secretly pained them to think that she was to die. With Yuna's words echoing in their minds they could not escape, all of them had retreated to their own thoughts of the same nature. _Death... _

Yuna looked up from the water, and her quivering reflection slowly faded into different colours, eventually disappearing completely.  
"I think we should go now," she said softly, breaking through the awkward silence.  
"Hmm? Yes… yes, we should get going now " Lulu responded, and she pushed her personal involvement as far away from her mind as she could, "Wakka? Kimarhi?"

" Ah the Lady Summoner Yuna is still aboard?"  
The guardians and Yuna turned to face a pale crewman with light blonde hair and blue eyes that twinkled like bright stars in the reflection of the sky.  
" We will now be leaving," Lulu informed the man." If you would…"  
" Oh!"  
The man seemed somewhat relieved of this quick departure and had forgotten to draw down the bridge in which he felt rather stupid.  
" Sorry ma'm, just this way."  
And he led them off, his face, though flushed in all the heat and forgetfulness, still as pale as ever.  
" Full speed ahead!"

The guardians watched him pull up the anchor and signal to the crew. Within a few minutes, the strange boat had turned silently above the water.   
"Wha-"  
Lulu silenced Wakka's outburst and her eyes attuned once more to the strange sight before her.  
"Just watch…"

The ship seemed like a silvery hologram surrounded by a vaporous mist. Its portholes were gleaming brightly like a flashlight was shining upon them and reflecting beams of light out to the sea. Up went its sails and then, as if they had all blinked, it was gone with only the distant noise of its horn floating amongst the air.

"What was that?" Wakka announced as soon as the boat had vanished and the hovering mist that had once surrounded the base of the ship faded into nothing but a slight wind that rippled on the water's surface.  
"A ghost ship created by Yevon to take the summoner to their Sacreda. How else would you get a ship through the sun? It's a good thing I'm here really…" Lulu informed him and her moogle nodded with her, as if it too knew about it.

Yuna had to admit that she had been just as blind as Wakka- the ghostly door, the pale crewmembers and the disappearing girl she had just this moment remembered seemed so obvious that she felt stupid. She didn't want to speak so not to reveal this to anyone but Wakka had obviously found his chance to put down Lulu, a chance he would not easily surpass.

"I suppose you know where we are too, ya? You may have come with other summoners but you said it yourself, every summoner has a different and unknown S…"  
"We're at Serpent's Gate."  
She had nothing short of amazed everyone around her.  
"How do you know that?"  
Wakka's attempts to regain his self-respect were slowly sinking into the desperate hole they had come from… sinking… sinking… dissolved into a piece of dirt under Lulu's feet.

Lulu shook her head in absolute desperation and her long purple fingernail pointed behind her.  
"Because it says so."  
She laughed at the sign that read clearly:

**SERPENT'S GATE**

Then walked off, her moogle chasing after her skirt's netted hems.  
"Grr… I knew that!" Wakka said under his breath and he too ran after her, leaving Yuna and Kimarhi behind.

"We go now Yuna."  
A large paw on her shoulder told Yuna that Kimarhi was waiting for her to leave.  
"HALT!"  
Before she had even taken a step, a tall man clad in knight's armour stopped them, his hand held at his head and his chest rising up and down in shallow breathing.  
"What business do you have to be here?"  
"My name is Yuna. I am a summoner from Spira…"  
Her voice trailed off as the knight's face fell blank but it quickly recuperated.  
"The Queen will be short to arrive. I would ask of you to go to the castle to await the Queen's arrival rather than here. If you would…"

Yuna felt herself being shuffled along but Kimarhi was having none of it and grabbed the knight's hand viciously with a gruff noise.  
" W-Whoa! Alright, alright…"  
The knight shook his hand that had been gripped firmly by the giant of a beast as they all entered a large dungeon-like chamber with two carriages waiting, their engines slightly chugging and warm. It was dark and Yuna had to adjust her eyes to see the rest of the guardians.

Lulu was waiting patiently by the side of one of the carriages, the usual serious look upon her face that gave away none of her personal feelings, while Wakka sat on the right one, his arms folded.  
" What took you so long?" he said, with a degree of frustration ridden upon his concern.  
" Apparently there is a Queen coming to this castle," Yuna educated him and she made her way towards where her guardians were.  
" This knight told me that we must leave for there-"

A long fanfare was heard and the knight became more flustered.  
"I would beg of you to go to the castle. I do not wish to miss the Queen's arrival myself…"  
Lulu, without further ado, stood up on the carriage, hitched her leather skirt up and sat down. Once she was settled, everyone else joined her and the carriage sped towards the castle finally stopping at its destination, its engine hissing a little steam.

"Where have you been, Pluto Knight VII?" an unknown woman's voice said sharply once the engine gears had completely stopped turning.  
"What are you doing in that carriage? Report at once!"  
The Pluto Knight stumbled off the runner and tried, in vain, to appear professional.  
"Sorry ma'm… I mean Beatrix… I mean…"  
"VII, I think you should go and provide back up for the knights. I have been informed that the Hilda Garde is arriving in a matter of minutes!"

Yuna watched as the woman flicked her hair back and stalked off, leaving the knight in even more of a panic.  
"This must be an important day here," Lulu noted and she too watched the woman disappear out of the doorway and the knight run off towards a large gathering crowd.  
"Let us go and see the Queen," Yuna smiled and, following the knight, she made her way towards the massive airship that had just landed.

_"The Queen of Alexandria…"_

"_Remember last time she was here? That play she held…"_

"_Oh yeah… "I Want to be your Canary' she got her own surprise though…"_

"_It will be great to welcome her back here…"_

Yuna heard the crowd talking in excited whispers and began to feel wrapped up in the atmosphere. She had never seen a Queen before, after all Spira had never been ruled by one. She imagined an older woman with a grand red velvet dress and a jeweled tiara but when the doors parted she was surprised to see a girl of her age with large brown eyes and long hair.

Behind her, and looking quite stern, was another knight although Yuna guessed that he was of more importance than the one who had escorted her to the castle.

"_Lord Steiner sure looks grander at this visit…"_

Yuna looked at him and felt a sudden urge to have a knight accompany her but then she looked at her guardians and it quickly passed.

"My friends of Lindblum. Thank you for such a warm welcome. It seems such a long time since I have arrived here," the Queen addressed the crowd suddenly, speaking in a mixture of what a Queen would be expected to sound like- prim and proper- and a more down-to-earth way. Yuna felt great admiration towards her, both her eyes fixated, but it soon came to an end.

" Yuna can you see what I can see?"  
Lulu's bitter voice broke through Yuna's captivated vision and the moogle on her guardian's hand slid beneath her arm, its little body shuddering its purple wings. Yuna was suddenly aware of what was happening around her. There were sudden gasps in the audience and Yuna could see, rising above the airship, a large flying monster that's mighty snarl filled her ears and caused them to buzz viciously. It looked as though it was made of a blue velvet with eyes like blazing red slits and with wings that were so powerful it created nothing short of a gale. She could see the knights arming one after another as the gasping crowd dragged her away, against her will, and she knew, deep down that it wasn't enough to defeat it, she knew that if they tried to kill it that the results would be disastrous.

Almost immediately she felt like she couldn't watch any longer, she had to do something- it was her duty to look out for others.  
" My duty..." she whispered and she held tightly onto a banister, her hair fanning around her head in the gale.  
" Yuna... hold on tighter!" Lulu's sharp voice cried in a panic, as if the summoner would be swept away any moment.  
" I-I MUST DO SOMETHING!" Yuna felt her voice say, not sure if she should have said anything at all.  
Lulu's serious face turned whiter than normal.  
" Listen to me Yuna that is one strong fiend, all of us together could not kill it!" Lulu cried and by now she was holding on to a statue.  
" I-I CAN'T JUST LEAVE THEM TO DIE! THE QUEEN COULD DIE!"  
"_You _could die Yuna. It's not worth it!"

Yuna's eyes were filled with the terror that lay before her and she could feel her head throbbing like there was something growing out of it. She could feel her heart pounding so fast that if she dared to ignore it then it may have broken in two at any time.  
"I'm sorry but I must!"  
She looked at her hands that were wet with apprehensive sweat and, before she knew what she was doing, she felt herself sprint away from her desperate guardians, the sound of her feet hardly making a sound under the castle's thick carpet. All she could hear was the sound of her own heartbeat thumping and a few distant cries unsure what to do. She felt like she didn't know what to do either but it was too late now- just as she thought, the knights were toppled over like a stack of loose dominos and only the one that protected the Queen remained.

Yuna could see her much more clearly now, her eyes were much more concentrated then that of anyone else but still Yuna could see a slight shake in her steady hand. She was now at the base of the airship surrounded by Beatrix and Steiner.  
"The Queen… the Queen is going to fight!" someone in the crowd cried and they watched in terror as upon the Queen's forehead appeared a brief hologram of a horn. Yuna felt something growing out of her head too but she ignored it.  
" She's a summoner!" Lulu said, eventually breaking away from the statue she had clung on for so long to as, out of the air, came a large dragon that swooped down. Yuna recognised it as an aeon...  
" Bahumat?"  
It roared loudly and its echo jumped across the castle's walls as it performed its first attack, the people below watching in awe.

It didn't take long for the flying monster with the red eyes and blue body to fall weak and, soon after, it admitted defeat. As it left, Yuna felt her forehead again- there was nothing there and, in either complete exhaustion or bewilderment in what she had just risked, she fell to her knees as the crowd towered over her- not seeing the young woman that lay between their feet.

"Sorry folks there's nothing left to see," the voice of Beatrix called out to the people just as a man with a moustache and a young girl with purple hair met her, the Queen and Steiner.  
The crowds were still whispering amongst another but left slowly, still excited in light of the recent events. Yuna saw this and she realised that it was time to move- she had found a summoner and that was all that concerned her.  
"I must speak with her!" she cried in a sudden outburst and, gathering all her strength, she rushed past the people to reach the Queen.  
"Yuna!"  
Kimarhi's growl echoed throughout the castle but Yuna kept going, determined to meet with the Queen.

"Your majesty!" she cried, just as Her Highness was about to leave. The Queen appeared interested by the sudden appearance of Yuna.  
"Who are you? Please stay away from the royal highness!" Steiner cried, his black pupils becoming wider. "I ask you to properly conduct yourself to the Queen at once!"  
"Steiner, please."  
The Queen hushed the knight and approached Yuna as if she was a rare specimen in a jar.  
"Who might you be? I saw you in the crowd- those eyes, that horn…"  
It was at this point the guardians had caught up.  
"Horn?" Yuna repeated, and a whisper in the air circled around her causing her head to pulsate once more. The Queen smiled warmly at this.  
"A summoner… you have traveled far I believe. I am Garnet"  
" Yuna"  
" Eiko"  
Yuna turned her head to see the little girl with the purple hair also possessed a horn.  
" Pleased to meet… you… both," Yuna said and her voice became weaker. Her head had become dizzy under the presence of the holographic horn and felt like it was spinning...

" _Are you alright? …"_

_" Yuna…"_

"_She has gone pale…"_

"_Yuna…"  
_

Everything suddenly turned black and Yuna's head felt as though it was made of marshmallows and that she had lost all feeling, floating in a black hole or wait- was it? She felt so alone. What was going on? She was standing upon a reflective piece of glass and in her ears echoed the Hymn of the Fayth… she felt her lips hum to each note_..."Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm. Hmm, hmm, hmmhmmhmm…"_

"Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm. Hmm, hmm, hmmhmmhmm…"  
"Yuna? She's awake!"  
When she found she could finally feel her legs, Yuna had awoken in a different castle entirely with all of her guardians surrounding her.  
"You o.k now?" Wakka cried, just a hazy blur in Yuna's tired eyes.  
"I'm fine," Yuna heard herself say and she moved Lulu's hand from her forehead and placed her own there to support the wet flannel that lay flat on her head.

"CURAGA!"  
Queen Garnet had entered the room and Yuna felt her body go through the weirdest sensation as if a million curing hands were touching her.  
"Please drink this," Garnet began and she was stirring a chalice that was smoking heavily, "It will help cure the pain in your head…"  
Yuna reached out for the chalice and slowly began to drink. It slid warmly down her throat and, when it reached a certain point, spread out to the tips of her fingers and to the top of her head.  
"A summoner without a horn is sure to have such pain," Garnet continued once Yuna had drank every last drop of the liquid, "I am certain because I too used to suffer. My horn was broken off when I was just a baby"

Yuna did not believe entirely that this was to blame but it made most sense. After all, in Spira, there was no need for such a characteristic but it seemed custom in the new world that all summoners (apart from Garnet) had a horn. She wanted to ask some more questions about it but it came out as one that had been drifting in and out of head for quite some time.  
"Where are we?"  
"You are in my castle, Alexandria. Once you are feeling better we can talk more but I think you should be left to get some rest now," Garnet replied and she signaled for the guardians to leave with her, "Sleep well."

Yuna closed her eyes, feeling as if she had been awake for a century, listening to everyone leave and the door close with them. It wasn't long until she heard some voices she had kept to herself, voices she could only hear in the distance.

_"Is anyone there? Hellooooooooooooo! Auron!"_

Yuna knew of an Auron- her father's guardian- but she didn't understand who this particular speaker was or why the voice was affecting her. However, it didn't feel strange to be hearing voices in her sleep but, almost, good she hated to admit to herself. Whoever the speaker was reassured her somehow… whoever it was she secretly hoped to meet but she was thinking the only way to meet him was through this…_ dream._

_

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_(Please review! Thank you! O;) )_


	4. Three Strangers and a Map

**Disclaimer**:

FFX, FFIX, FFVIII AND FFVII and all characters associated with the Final Fantasy name belong to those lovely people at Square. Story and additional characters © 2005 Ultima's Angel

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**  
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**3. Three Strangers and a Map  
**

The chalice that once contained liquid medicine was still smoking. Each puff of smoke slithered up to the ceiling, consuming the room in a cinnamon- like fragrance, and making it appear as if it was home to some spiritual ritual. It made Yuna feel drowsier than ever. Even though her holographic horn had disappeared and the pain with it, the medicine had instead filled her head with emptiness and a definite drowsiness.

What was worse was not the fact that Yuna's head felt like it was detached from her body but that Lulu had chosen this moment to debrief Yuna about Sacreda. She was joined by a new companion this morning- a cactuar who had once been spinning about; now sleeping under the influence of either the chalice's smoke or Lulu's constant speaking, Yuna couldn't tell. She herself was slouched over a wooden chair trying to make sense of anything her guardian was saying.

"… This pre-pilgrimage is not to be taken lightly," Lulu stressed for the third time since appearing at Yuna's door, "We will have to journey to receive the equivalent of the aeon and here it is called an eidolon. In order for you to defeat Sacreda's practice Sin you must get every one of these equivalents from each place we visit. Ark is the name of your first, we will do whatever it takes to get it…"  
Yuna understood in some distant part of her mind but the rest of it was asleep. Like a programmed robot she nodded her head and tried to appear alert. Lulu seemed satisfied with this response and continued.  
" There are three journeys to undertake to receive each one's summoning creature. Each of them are the most powerful of their kind. Once you have them all, it is only you and them- us guardians will not fight with you. It is up to you to prove you are worthy of aeons."  
"I understand."  
Yuna finished the conversation and the door of the room opened. It was the rest of her guardians and Garnet, her arms full of gems.

"If you require Ark, you must first seek Hades. He lives in a place called Memoria, a place made up from people's memories. I must warn you that the monsters there are extremely tough so I would equip." She handed them the contents of her arms leaving the guardians (including Lulu) and Yuna completely bewildered.  
" These gems are what you need to learn abilities. Luckily for you these are from my journey so most of the skills are learned apart from the eidolons. You just need to equip them to you…"  
" Your journey?"  
Yuna's face lit up and she put down the handful of gems she had been handed.  
" …Your Highness, you fought Sin?"  
" No, I fought Kuja and Nectron…"  
" Kuya and Neptron?"  
Yuna found this extremely interesting that someone else had gone through a real pilgrimage and wanted to talk about it.  
" So you really went through a real pilgrimage?"

Garnet sighed and sat down, realising that Yuna didn't know very much about her world at all.  
" It wasn't a pilgrimage, as you put it, but a journey. I learned about my real roots and about things I would have never found out if I hadn't gone… I hope I have become a good Queen because of my real experiences mainly because I have seen the world and learned about the sort of person I want to be-"  
" And you didn't die?"  
Yuna's mouth accidentally spilled out the 'd' word before she could stop herself and there was a long awkward pause, much like the one aboard the S.S Spektril at the mention of the word nobody wanted to say.  
" Yuna, remember that this is a different world with different people in it and with no real sin to terrorize them," Lulu's voice said, quieter than usual, and Yuna could see her head was bowed as if to not to look straight at her. " Remember the Sin here is not a big monster but one created by the temples for you to practice on, it does not affect life here."

Yuna could feel her eyes swelling with tears of a single thought of a world without Sin but she managed to pull them back before they trickled down her cheek.  
" My apologies. You are most lucky. N-N-Now where do I find this Memoria?"  
Garnet pursed her mouth deep in thought, blissfully unaware of the full extent of Spira's terror.  
" That's the problem…. you can't. It was once above the Iifa Tree but it had a violent reaction and is extremely dangerous…"  
"So now what?" Lulu interrupted, a bit too sharply.  
Garnet bit her lip and thought further.  
" You could come see my friend. I should take the airship if that is the case…"  
"Yes," Yuna replied and she followed Garnet out, her head still fantasizing of a world free of Sin and making her more determined then ever to bring the Calm.

Down a stone spiral staircase and just beyond a statue of a knight, it wasn't long until they saw the massive airship hovering silently awaiting its passengers to board. Yuna felt excitement in her stomach that was to take a ride in it, much like when she had taken her first ride in a shoopuff. She stepped up feeling nervous and her guardians and Garnet followed.

" Where to?" the cloaked man with the moustache asked once everyone was settled, his hands clasped around the wheel of the ship.  
Yuna watched Garnet closely and she thought she saw a slight quiver in the Queen's throat and a tear in her left eye but at the next moment it was gone.  
" We should head to Lindblum Theatre District," she said softly, turning away quickly as if she didn't want anyone to see her and she took off in the opposite direction of everyone else.

" The Theatre District? Where's that?" Yuna asked, more out of a need of conversation rather than for fact. It wasn't as if she knew where it would be even if someone did tell her. Nobody did- Garnet had vanished, her guardians knew as much as she did and the man behind the wheel was concentrating on the journey ahead. Yuna sighed and twisted the silver pendant on her necklace. She could no longer think of anything else to say. Shutting the door behind her, she left the room and made her way down a corridor until she reached a door with sounds of machinery from the inside.

**THE ENGINE ROOM**

it read, each letter peeling but readable.

Looking through the small round window, Yuna was amazed. She had never seen engines like this before. In Spira, the cogs were turned by chocobo power but here she could see the machinery puffing out smoke, a coal fire blazing red and machine parts moving the cogs like human arms. It was when she looked closer, she saw a shadow of a person.

" The Queen?" Yuna gasped quietly, not sure if she was allowed to watch the sight that lay in front of her. The shadow was not proud nor gracious, it was bent over with its head in its hands and there was sobs over the noise of the machinery. Yuna, for the first time, had realised that no matter how important a person was they were always human but watching a Queen cry silently was shocking to her. Garnet summoned a mythical monster, Garnet spoke with such authority, Garnet was the people's joy… _Garnet is… crying._

Yuna wasn't sure what to say or do but she guessed that Garnet would want privacy whatever she was crying about and she turned around...  
" Yuna."  
She nearly jumped a mile as the outline of Lulu stood behind her.  
" Where is Her Majesty?"  
" Er..."  
Yuna's eyes wandered discreetly back to the window- Garnet was gone.  
" It doesn't matter," Lulu said quickly, "That man with the cloak- Cid- informs me that we have arrived and we should leave at once."

Yuna nodded and, with Lulu walking beside her, they made their way back to the cabin.  
" Are we ready to go?" a voice called from the inside, belonging to Garnet.  
" Your Highness!" Yuna exclaimed to a Queen, not the crying silhouette she had seen in the Engine Room. " You're here?"  
" Of course."  
Her bright brown eyes shone as she wrapped a red cloak around her shoulders and left. Yuna decided that whatever she had been upset about was nothing now or that maybe she had made a mistake.  
" Yuna, let's go too."  
Lulu put a hand on her summoner's shoulder and led her out of the airship.

Outside, Yuna could see a building with a clock integrated upon its top and she was beginning to wonder who this friend of Garnet's would be. She could see her now, surrounded by some odd-looking characters. There was a woman in a bonnet and dress, a man dressed in what looked like an animal skin and a large man with some sort of Viking hat over his head.

" Ya all seek Zidane. Well I don't know very much about that..." the woman was saying in a strange accent, her eyes nervously darting from the Queen to her fellow companions to the Queen again.  
" He's not here, Y-Your Majesty?" the man with the Viking hat said, seemingly unsure on how to address his royal visitor.  
Garnet nodded and turned away, her eyes filling up like brown oceans.  
" You all hate me do you not? You think I wanted it to end like that. I did not ask to be royal you know," she said quietly, her voice upset but still with a posh accent.  
" Oh Dagger... I mean Your Grace," the woman started.

Yuna watched this conversation with great interest. Was it possible that there was more to Garnet than just her duty? It looked as though these people once knew her, now hated her? Yuna wondered if that was the reason that she had cried.  
" I must speak with him. Just tell me where he is," Garnet said firmly.  
" I'm here."  
Yuna watched as something that looked like a man crossed with a monkey came out from the building.  
" But Zidane... you said... " the man with the animal skin cried.  
" Forget what I said. Thank you but I don't need you all to be here... I'm sorry."  
Garnet took a deep breath and faced him.

" We should leave too," Yuna said suddenly to her guardians, watching everyone else but Garnet and Zidane scatter.  
" Wait!" the woman in the bonnet cried, chasing after them, " Can I help you at all?"  
Yuna looked up and smiled politely at the woman before them.  
" The name's Ruby," the woman announced, "You are?"  
" Yuna. I'm a..."- she paused anxiously- " Summoner?"  
" Like Dagger then."  
" Who?" all the guardians but Kimarhi exclaimed in unison.  
Ruby seemed to overlook this outburst and she brushed a strand of blonde hair from her eye.  
" You travel with Garnet, what d'ya all need?"  
" We are looking for a Memoria," Lulu started, seriously. " We seek the Eidolon Ark."  
This seemed to amuse Ruby and she laughed a little.  
" Don't know much about this summoning lark. I'm an act-tress darhhhling!"  
Yuna sighed in disappointment. " You know nothing then..."  
" Didn't say that. I hear a lot of punters and well... Zidane talking about it. Used to be on the Iifa Tree then the reaction happened and well it was gone I guess. I hear that it emerges in places where memories are strong. That's all really. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more use but good luck and... if you wanna bed for the night I could put ya all up."  
"Thank you…" Yuna responded, her thoughts beginning to drift elsewhere.

" Yuna, you tired?" Wakka asked, after a momentary pause.  
" No but don't wait up on my account. Just go," Yuna answered, only half listening as she watched Garnet and Zidane closely from the side of her eye.  
" Kimarhi will be here with you. We are going to the newly-built theatre according to Ruby. It's just behind there," Lulu continued. " … Yuna?"  
Yuna stopped watching the couple and turned around, realizing her guardians wanted her to go with them. She reluctantly left.

She wasn't sure why, but she was finding it interesting to watch the weird relationship between the Queen and the rat-like thief. The young royal had been very upset previously, no matter how well she looked now and Yuna found herself wondering if it was to do with this. She knew that it had nothing to do with her but still, as she and the other guardians walked nervously into the theatre, she couldn't help but to think about them.

" Ya all made it!" the voice of Ruby yelled enthusiastically and Yuna quickly forgot about her previous thoughts. " Welcome to the newly-built Lindblum Theatre! Please sit down. Can I get you anything? "  
In amazement, everyone watched as Ruby pulled a painting of some famous actress and down came a mini-bar.  
" What about you?" she asked Yuna handing her a cocktail.  
" Er... I'm only seventeen," she replied, feeling stupid and leaving Ruby to laugh in her usual way.  
" Hey, course you are but a li'l cocktail won't do no harm now."

Yuna accepted it only after Ruby had insisted and, putting it down on the mahogany bar's surface, she looked about her. In the front of the building was a massive stage lit up by lights of several colours. It had thick velvet curtains at each end while in the middle there were vast rows of padded seats. Yuna guessed that it had once been run-down as in the corner, she could see a little bad brick and plaster work as well as several sheeted objects smothered in thick layers of dust in the dark corner.  
" As you can see we're not quite open for business yet. We've got a theatre in the Business District too but it's a little smaller," Ruby commented, looking as Yuna's eyes darted about the place.  
" It looks good," Yuna added not before the door suddenly flew open and in came three weird looking creatures leaving Ruby to abandon her and serve her customers.

" What can I get you boys?" Ruby winked, drying out a glass.  
" Hmph... a Memoria would be good," the one in the middle with an overly-large fuzzy nose said, his voice low and gruff.  
Yuna heard the word 'memoria' and closed in to listen.  
" Well maybe just the Theatre's Finest then," he grumbled, handing Ruby over a handful of gil and turning back to talk as she brewed up their order.  
" I think I've pin-pointed in on the map," another one of the group said, with a voice that sounded as if it had been subjected to hours of cruel dictionary reading and he reached into his pocket to bring the map out. "I'd say that it's up near Treno, no wait my calculations are not in order... "  
His crooked finger scanned down the map's crinkled surface and suddenly, it dotted furiously on a point, nearly going straight through the paper.  
" And?" the third and last one to speak cried, his eyes flaring up in a combination of both excitement and nervousness.   
The man with the intelligence sighed and, leaning the map against the bar's wood, he murmured in some other language leaving the other two in a furious rage.  
" You brought the wrong map?" the man with the weird nose yelled, furiously accepting Ruby's cocktail (and spilling some over the map)   
" Don't be mad! I thought I brought the right one, honest!"  
The second member of the trio was now whimpering like a helpless puppy dog and Yuna watched as the other two thanked Ruby and took him by the back of the collar outside, the door slamming behind them.

" Not m' regulars," Ruby commented and she lifted the glass up. " Hey, looks like they left their map! Euwwh!"  
She tried to shake off cocktail droplets that had fallen onto its surface but, no matter how much she tried, they wouldn't budge.  
" Cloth time," she added and, leaving the map, she stalked off in search of something to mop up the spilled drink from her bar.  
Lulu clutched at the now-rolled up map and stretched it out.  
" That's weird…" she began. "The map rolled up but the cocktail droplets have not turned into stains. They're still wet and in droplet form."  
She prized a fingernail into one and was surprised to feel that they didn't move anywhere.

" Let me see."  
Yuna pushed her way past Kimarhi's large fur coat, that was blocking her view before, and began to study the map. She became aware that one was moving- now both were moving. She blinked and rubbed her eyes.  
" They're moving?" Wakka stated the obvious, also furiously squinting his eyes as the two droplets made their way to the middle of the page, joined and quickly formed into a red stain.

" You don't think..."

"It's very possible... could it really be a map for…"

" Memoria?" Yuna finished off the excited gasps and her eyes glowed. " Maybe. It's a lead but I should pocket it before they discover it's the right map."

It was then, after Yuna had carefully placed the map in between the folds in her yellow bow, that Ruby entered holding a cloth. " What a mess, eh?" she said, mopping up the spill carefully. " I hope you're tired now 'cause I'm closing for the night!"  
Lulu nodded and Ruby seemed glad of this.  
" Well, I've made up your rooms upstairs. Oh what a great pity there wasn't any shows on tonight... you'd enjoy them."  
She stopped talking and turned around- everyone was already gone.

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(_Please review! Thanks for reading! o:D )_


	5. Journey to Memoria

**Disclaimer**:  
**  
**FFX, FFIX, FFVIII AND FFVII and all characters associated with the Final Fantasy name belong to those lovely people at Square. Story and additional characters © 2005 Ultima's Angel

_Note: This is my last chapter before I'm on my own! Before now I was using what I'd written 2 years ago and editing it but now I'll be writing the chapters from scratch. Reviews would be great- I need a lot of encouragement now lol! 0;)  
_

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4. Journey to Memoria**

The next morning was quiet. Yuna was expecting to hear crowds of noisy punters clinking their glasses together and Ruby's voice to come through the door but all was still. In fact, the only noise came from outside. Birds perched on crooked buildings were singing, the sun's amber glow warming their feathers as they did so. The bedroom which Yuna had slept in was immersed in light that poured in from the little round window until it too had a glow to it.

It was a little yet welcoming room with quilted spreads covering the wooden bed and with a log fire that had recently been put out in the corner. Yuna watched as slithering snakes of grey smoke wheezed out of the ash black wood. They climbed towards the top of the ceiling turning it black and peeling away the frail décor.

She had an odd feeling deep down in the pit of her stomach, as she tossed her head back into the chocobo feather pillow, almost as if (once again) she hadn't slept at all.  
" I was asleep, wasn't I?" she said softly to herself, and she tried to remember. Why couldn't she remember sleeping when she knew she had definitely woken? Why was she still so tired? She was too exhausted to ask anymore, her head was filled with emptiness the unanswered questions had brought. Her eyes closed and she finally felt herself drift away…

" Yuna, Yuna are you awake?"  
It was Lulu standing over the bed, her cactuar dancing in her palm.  
"I… I need you to come downstairs and assist me…"  
" … assist _you?"_  
The covers doubled back to reveal Yuna's surprised face. This was an odd expression that Yuna thought she'd never hear herself say to Lulu.  
" Well, it's these gems. Her Majesty hasn't returned…" Lulu said as if every word caused her great pain, " I'd like to have them assigned individually to us as soon as possible…"  
"Oh I see," Yuna said quickly. "I'll be down soon"

Lulu nodded and left and the cactaur left with her, hopping and spinning about in a frenzy. Yuna reluctantly dragged herself out of bed and dressed without looking in the mirror. Then she made her way down the winding staircase that turned around slowly after each corner she took. Then it stopped, groaning as if every step Yuna took was too much for it.

It led her to the bar's cellar with hundreds of barrels of every imaginable drink stacked upon each other. Some were rolling loose about the floor dripping large pools of strangely coloured liquid that bubbled and hissed before occasionally dissolving into smoke. Yuna stepped carefully over they ones, she wasn't sure what effect they'd have on her but she didn't wish to find out. Relieved she had got through the cellar intact, she approached the theatre with caution but luckily there was only one surprise. Garnet had returned and was showing the guardians how to equip themselves with the new system.

"Lulu.. you will be the black mage naturally," she was saying and she handed Lulu the amber gems that shined black. "And Wakka… you can have the Knight gems and Kimarhi… you will be the Dragoon. Yuna! You will be a summoner but I regret that there is only really white magic for you to use."  
Yuna accepted the white gems that glowed pink, feeling nervous but, nevertheless, better she had some power.  
" Now to leave," Garnet smiled. " I hear you have a map Yuna."  
Yuna reached into her bow and pulled out the map, that once belonged to the strangers in the bar, and handed it to Garnet. Then she followed everyone out, smiling happily as she thought of receiving her first summoning creature of Sacreda and thinking more about the importance of this journey.

It seemed a long time since she had been standing in the Besaid Temple waiting until her father's statue had turned purple before she could slide in the sphere that would open the portal. Then she remembered stepping through a glowing light and finding herself ready to leave in the S.S Spektril. Now all she had to do was pass this pre-pilgrimage and she was ready to live her dream for the people. All she had to do was defeat the practice Sin the temples had created for her that waited back in Besaid beyond the Cloister of Trials. She tried not to think about what would happen if she failed it. It dreaded every bone in her body to think of failure so she tried to think positively. She _would_ leave the Besaid Temple as a proper summoner with Valefor. How the people would rejoice and how happy would she be knowing she had made them so. She smiled to herself with this thought in her mind and looked to where everyone was standing.

" What's going on?" she enquired, and she walked towards her guardians.  
" Garnet has gone with this _Zidane_ get us our transport," Lulu answered. " We have to wait here."  
Yuna nodded and leaned against Kimarhi whose large paw stroked her brown hair.  
" You still tired?" Wakka asked her curiously. " Couldn't sleep, huh? Me neither. Don't tell that Ruby but that bed felt like I was sleeping on a rock!"  
Yuna only replied with another weak nod. She knew that she had been dreaming all night, even though she hadn't actually been asleep. In it, she remembered, she had been in a temple and she had lit a fire. It was warm and she was hungry and cold but then she became uneasy. There was something watching her with shining eyes. Then, it stopped.  
" You will have to get more sleep Yuna, you need your strength," Lulu commented, still worried about Yuna's lack of sleep and concentration, but Yuna wasn't listening- she was staring at the sky.

There, flying high above the gathering clouds, was Garnet and Zidane upon a chocobo, its beak opening at irregular intervals in expectance of greens.  
" A real flying chocobo?" Lulu said quietly, half in amusement. " Now there's a first..."  
" Hop on!" Garnet's voice cried and the chocobo landed. She put her hand out to Yuna, who looked worried.  
" Hey! Don't worry, it's fun!" Zidane smiled and he too beckoned to her, leaving no choice but to climb onto the chocobo's feathery back.  
" It doesn't go that high does it?" Yuna said nervously, finding some comfort that the others were climbing on too.  
" Nah..."

Zidane gave the chocobo the signal to move and it flew straight over a large cloud with a long "Kwehhh!"  
" Ahhhhhhh!" Lulu yelled a little too loud so that everyone stared at her.  
" Memoria here we go again," Zidane said ignoring Lulu's cries, his mousy hands gripping the map.  
" Is it far, ya?" Wakka asked, trying to keep a serious face at Lulu's scared expression.  
" Not really," Garnet answered and she felt the cold wind race through her hair.

Yuna looked at the side of her and saw puffy clouds at waist height that dissolved into thin air as the chocobo flew through them. She had always wondered what it was like to fly ever since she was girl and had often believed that she could. Lulu, however, never quite agreed whenever Yuna, as a little seven year old, told her about what she would see through the clouds. It made Yuna laugh to reminisce about the things she did when she was young yet cry to think she would never think of them again.

" What you laughing at?" Wakka asked, hearing Yuna laugh. " Don't you think that Lu looks good like that?"  
He had completely misread her laughs.  
" Leave it out Wakka," Lulu hissed through clenched teeth." … Or a piece of mysterious thunder may just appear any moment."  
Yuna laughed harder and she was filled with happiness, watching the birds fly by. Then, it all changed as the blue sky became absorbed into pink and the chocobo halted.

" Now for the next part of our journey. Ready?" Zidane said suddenly and he winked at Garnet as the chocobo suddenly dropped from underneath them and a long root emerged in a blur. He grabbed hold of it and with everyone else, but Garnet, feeling terrified, he swung forward.  
" What are you doing?" Lulu cried.  
" Chocobos don't like it I guess!" Garnet laughed wildly, clutching onto Zidane's trouser leg.  
" You two are crazy, ya?" Wakka yelled through the wind that took his breath away.  
" Relax," Zidane assured him, and they let go off the root and fell into a dark place one after another in a human mountain.

" Get off me!" Lulu's voice called at the bottom and, as everyone pulled themselves up, they could only laugh at Lulu's face.  
" Welcome to Memoria!" Garnet cried. " Hope you enjoyed your journey!"  
Everyone but Lulu found this funny.  
" And you're supposed to be the Queen..." she muttered, straightening out a crushed belt.

It was only after Lulu had sorted herself out and they had ensured they were properly equip that they began to move inside Memoria. It was the strangest place Yuna had ever been to with a strange atmosphere about it. It seemed that every step she took, there was movement behind her. She all at once remembered what Garnet had said about hard fights and was relieved to have the comfort of the gems with her. As she got deeper in, it became darker and also colder. It certainly seemed as if it had been abandoned for quite some time yet by the amount of fighting she had been doing it wasn't so, but home to many monsters.

"Fighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhht!'' Zidane yelled and Yuna felt herself being immersed in battle. By now she was so tired and it felt as though curing was taking everything out of her but, not wanting Zidane to have to flee, she kept going. Once the monster had been defeated, she could go on no longer. She flopped down on the Memoria's cold floor.  
"We should rest," Lulu said, noting this.

Everyone agreed and a fire was lit. Yuna watched its flames, the heat made her drowsy and she almost thought she was in her dream again.  
'' Well… we're nearly there. We'll have Ark for you in no time!'' Zidane said cheerfully and he studied the map again (that had changed to an internal view)  
'' Aren't you going to join us Your Majesty?'' Lulu asked Garnet.  
Yuna looked up. It looked from where Yuna was sitting that Garnet was upset and just looking at her reminded Yuna of the black silhouette of her in the Engine Room- crying, alone and unlike the person Garnet always tried to be. In a way, secretly admitting it in her mind, Yuna thought that Garnet was quite like her. She often had to hide her fears for the good of her friends.  
"Not at the moment," Garnet answered, her voice fragile and she disappeared.  
Everyone turned back to eat their gyshal pickles but Yuna left hers. It was time to find out the truth. It was time to find out who Garnet really was. With her head pulsating, she followed the young royal and the darkness closed in.


	6. Through Garnet's Eyes

**Disclaimer**:  
**  
**FFX, FFIX, FFVIII AND FFVII and all characters associated with the Final Fantasy name belong to those lovely people at Square. Story and additional characters © 2005 Ultima's Angel

_Note: In my flashback of Garnet (or rather Sara- her true summoner's name) I have the King and Queen of Alexandria in it. The Queen would be Queen Brahne I presume however I can't see such a hideous woman having such a child who looked anything like Garnet! (perhaps she was deluding herself!) but at the same time there's no great detail about Brahne apart from she used to be caring and gentle._

_ As for her looks, maybe she became grotesque as a result of turning evil? There's no real answer. She was designed to be evil. Full stop. That gives me the problem of how to make Brahne in the past. In the end I went for that theory- she used to be beautiful and normal lol before obsessing about evil so imagine a normal looking woman (if you can!) Check out the IX section for a spin off fanfic on Brahne's story to try and explain how she ended up looking like that (as for the King I presume he died) _

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5. Through Garnet's eyes**

"Your majesty?"  
Yuna approached the room she had followed Garnet to with great caution. It was so dark that nothing at all was visible and it appeared to be empty with her voice echoing around it like a ghostly cry. It was also chillingly cold, Yuna's arms were covered in goose pimples and she was feeling as if every part of her was frozen still, even her voice seemed to be stuck.  
"H-hello?"  
She saw a white light flicker from somewhere.  
"Garnet… are you there?"  
The light flickered again.  
"Garnet!"  
A black silhouette lay crouched on the floor.

Yuna took a deep breath, feeling as if the sweat drops had frozen onto her hair. Taking a few small steps first, she approached it. Then bigger steps and bigger still until she had almost reached the figure…

"POOOOOOOOW!"

The light flickered faster and faster and suddenly Yuna realised what was happening. Upon the walls of the room, there were moving black and white images that, like a slideshow, crackled and hissed as it delivered every new picture. The silhouette had disappeared and Yuna was once again alone, surrounded by the silent images. There was an image of an eye, like that belonging to a dragon, and a burning city playing over and over again and it was the flames that were flickering. Yuna was captivated and for a minute she had forgotten about her reason for being in this strange place. In fact it was only when she saw some young girl in the slideshow who resembled Garnet that she remembered.

The girl was on a battered boat, its sails were torn and it was being tossed about by a furious sea. At first there was no sound, only an eerie silence, but with a change of the image also came a change in the atmosphere. Not only was sound coming from the moving images but it seemed to make the room warmer, happier somehow as if all that had been dead before had been magically brought to life. Flickering on the walls this time was an image of a room in a castle Yuna had visited before- Garnet's Alexandria- with a young Steiner kneeling to a King and a Queen, the little girl from the boat at his side.

"She was found sailing, Your Highness," he was saying, " I'd say she's been in a storm from the look of the boat we found her in. It's a miracle. A real miracle has happened. Princess Garnet is alive!"  
He himself looked alive with excitement as if he couldn't wait to leave and spread the good news which he did soon after he had stopped speaking, the noise of his armour heard as he raced down the winding stairs. In the room, however, it was a completely different atmosphere altogether.  
"Come child. Let me take a look at you," the King said, but with much less excitement than would be expected of a man who hadn't gazed upon his long- lost daughter's eyes for a long time. "Do not be afraid…"  
"I'm not afraid, I'm just not who you think…" the girl said quietly before being interrupted by the King.  
"Brahne…You know as well as I do that this is not Garnet…"  
The Queen's bottom lip was trembling and her eyes looked as if they had been drained of all colour where once they had been bright.  
"I know…" she whispered to herself. "I know that our Garnet's dead, our little princess is gone. But she looks so much like her… the eyes, the hair, everything… " She looked up. " Where do you come from? Where is your home, who are your parents?"  
"My name is Sara… I'm from…. I'm from…. I don't have a home."  
"Don't have a home? How is that possible?"  
"It was destroyed."  
"My poor child," the Queen said sorrowfully, "Where will you go?"  
Sara obviously hadn't thought this far, she pursed her mouth deep in thought exactly like Queen Garnet did.  
"I don't know, Your Majesty."  
The Queen looked at her, her eyes filled with love as if the child before her really was her own daughter. She was beautiful and alert yet grief had obviously taken its toll. Her long dark brown hair had frayed at the ends and her eyes, once shining brown, were dull only showing signs of life when she looked at Sara. Suddenly she knew what she had to do. 

"Steiner!"  
The knight appeared from nowhere, out of breath from running about the kingdom spreading the news.  
"I want you to take Princess Garnet to her room. You are to protect her at all costs- even if it means your life. Do you hear me? We will not lose her again."  
Steiner nodded.  
"Yes, Your Majesty."  
He turned to look at Sara.  
"Welcome home Princess Garnet."

* * *

Yuna watched as the castle room disappeared and was replaced by more flickering still images. She couldn't make it figure in her mind- Queen Garnet was not really the royal she had seen her as. She was a fake. Just an ordinary girl. Her thoughts were all over the place when she heard a voice behind her.  
"I see memoria has used my memory.."  
It was Queen Garnet.  
"Garnet? I mean Sara?" Yuna cried, surprised to see her.  
"Garnet, please. I haven't been called Sara for such a long time…" Garnet said and her eyes scanned over the flickering images. Yuna took this as an opportunity to confront her.  
"Your Majesty… I wanted to ask… Is that memory why you have been upset?"  
Yuna felt as though she had just mentioned her death to her guardians. It had a similar affect.  
"How do you know about that?" Garnet enquired, her voice fringed with suspicion as if Yuna had taken her heart apart and looked about for private memories.  
"I saw you in the Engine Room in the Hilda Garde," Yuna said quietly. "You were crying…I just wondered if I could help at all... "  
Garnet looked up and took a deep breath.  
"I don't think you can help but yes, I see no point in denying it. I was crying. I was crying because… because things are confusing, Yuna. This is a hard time for me."  
She watched her memories flicker on the wall before closing her eyes. The image changed to a happy scene at Alexandria Castle where everyone was rejoicing. Garnet was in Zidane's arms and the whole kingdom was celebrating.  
"When I completed my journey I thought I'd lost Zidane… " Garnet began, her voice soft. "He disappeared you see and every day I was put through hell wondering if he was dead or alive. That day he came back to me and I swore I'd never let him go again…"  
"And now?" Yuna asked.  
"Now the harsh reality is my heart has to. I'm the Queen now and I can't leave whenever I choose," Garnet replied, a stream of tears trickling down her cheek. "One night I saw Zidane packing. It took me by surprise and I asked where he was going. He said he had to go out with Tantalus. I wanted so bad to leave with him, just walk out and get back out into the world but there was no way I could leave. The people here rely on me to rule their country. On that journey with Zidane I loved the freedom. I liked going wherever I pleased, fighting whatever I wanted and being with whoever I wanted. Being a Queen, there's just no way I can leave the kingdom like that- I had to leave the next morning to fulfil a royal duty. I begged him to stay but he just didn't understand. So it came down to leaving with Tantalus or leaving for my duty and I left for my duty. I'm torn now. Inside I'm Sara and I want to go back into the world and the other side of me really is Garnet and I know I have a duty to fulfil." 

Yuna listened and her heart understood completely. She had sometimes wanted to give up her duty but then Sin would strike again and it made her more determined than ever to help Spira.   
"I'm going to die," she said suddenly.  
Garnet looked at her, half in shock but mainly in sadness.  
"I had no idea. I'm so sorry...c-can I ask why?"  
It was amazing how calm Yuna was. It was as if it happened to every girl of her age.  
"It's my duty to the people. A monster called Sin terrorises my home and I will go on pilgrimage to save it but I will die in the process. I live for the people of Spira. I want to make the world free. I know I will miss my guardians, my friends, but this is my duty. This is so important to the people and just to bring them peace, I would gladly die for."

Garnet suddenly became aware that her heart was filling up with hope but, most importantly, certainty.  
"I envy your resolve... I know that deep down I'd love to be roaming the world again but, no, I will go on and serve my people. Although I'm not really royal, I am Alexandria's ruler and the people need me to be strong…"  
Yuna smiled.  
"Don't cry anymore," she said soothingly. "Be grateful for having such a kingdom."  
And then she walked away and, as the darkness swallowed her up, Garnet looked up.  
"Yuna… God rest your soul."

* * *

_I thought it was interesting that Garnet and Yuna were so similar in terms of having a duty that required them to be strong people so that's why I had this chapter. Also it's a reflection of what is to come for her and Tidus of course. I won't break up Garnet and Zidane though- more in the next chapter about what Garnet will do now she's dedicating herself to her duty rather than trips out with Tantalus lol. R&R!  
_


End file.
